


Ankara Ditch

by antigonebelladonna



Category: Wayne (TV 2019)
Genre: Del Luccetti - Freeform, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I can't believe this is the third story in the Wayne archive come on people, I don't want to be the only one writing, Just read it I promise it's good, Sorry the summary is so bad, Wayne McCullough - Freeform, Write more Wayne fanfiction 2k19
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 00:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17735576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antigonebelladonna/pseuds/antigonebelladonna
Summary: Wayne and Del run into some trouble in a small town in South Carolina because Wayne can't go anywhere without starting shit.(just a small story with some hurt and comfort for Wayne because he's my favorite :''))





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys!  
> Since Wayne only came out around three weeks ago, there are only two stories for it in ao3, so of course I had to take a stab at it for anyone like me who wanted to read tons of fics the moment they finished the show ;)  
> This isn’t anything too serious—just a kind of mini-episode with some hurt/comfort for Wayne because that’s my favorite genre to write and I love Wayne’s character. So much. The writers did such a good job.  
> I’m sorry if my writing is out of character—this is my first time writing for Wayne, so give me some constructive criticism if you feel like it! I love and need reviews, always, so please don’t hesitate to leave a comment :)  
> Also, this is probably set somewhere around after the fourth episode. I think that makes the most sense.  
> Anyway, enjoy! I don’t think this story will be too long...probably :D I always say that and then I end up writing a seventy-page long story.
> 
> Enjoy!  
> x

Chapter 1

Del had lost track of how long they had been driving. It felt like the cold wind had been whipping at her ears for an hour and a half. Or had it been two? Even with the cushion Wayne had bought, her ass was still hurting like a bitch. And she was about to pee her fucking pants. Wayne had to be made out of metal or something. Del suspected that if she didn’t say something soon, he could ride out here in the freezing cold for another day or two without stopping. He had been aiming to make it into South Carolina when they had set off earlier, and they must have reached it already at the pace they were going.

“Wayne!” She shouted into his ear over the howling of the wind. Her throat was so dry, it hurt to talk.

“What?” He yelled back, equally as loud. 

“We gotta stop soon!” Del shouted. 

Wayne nodded. Or Del thought he did. His head twitched slightly, anyway.

“I gotta pee! And I’m tired!” Del continued shouting.

“I hear ya! Just wait a minute!”

Del sighed and sat back a little bit, squinting at the scenery as it flashed by. It was so late, she could barely see anything, but occasionally a dim street lamp would illuminate their surroundings. She wanted to stop right now and just take a piss in the woods, but she knew Wayne was probably waiting until they got to a motel or something. 

About a minute later and what felt like an eternity to Del, the distant lights of a few buildings became visible. Wayne pulled up at the first gas station available, parking at the one functioning gas pump. Del jumped off of the bike the moment Wayne kicked the kickstand into place, and she stretched her sore limbs, waiting while Wayne took of his helmet and dusted some of the dirt off the bike.

Del looked over at the run-down building. It probably had been white at some point, but it was covered in so many oddly colored stains and mud, it was hard to tell. A fading sign above the single door read “Lucky’s Pit Stop”, with several letters missing. She would have thought the place was closed, but there was clearly light illuminating the shelves against the windows from the inside.

Wayne looked up from the bike. “What’re you waitin’ on?”

Del crossed her arms and gave him a look. “I ain’t goin’ in there alone.”

Wayne shrugged. “Okay. I’m almost done.”

“Yeah, yeah, hurry it up.”

Once Wayne was satisfied, they headed into the shop. A bell jingled as they walked in. Del glanced over at the cashier, a middle-aged, dark-skinned woman skimming through a magazine. 

The place was small and crowded with aisles of convenience food. The light above the door flickered sporadically. 

“Alright, I’m gonna take a piss. You figure out where the hell we are.” Del said to Wayne.

“Okay. I’ll find a map or somethin’,” He replied.

Del walked quickly to the back, passing an aisle of snacks. Her stomach growled as the she looked at them. Damn. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was. She slowed down, looking around for security cameras. There was one hung on the wall near the hallway that led to the back of the store. A hand-written sign next to it read, “Smile! You’re on camera!” Del narrowed her eyes at it. There was a wad of wires dangling off of it. It didn’t work.

She looked quickly at the rows of snacks, quickly putting a bag of chips and trail mix in her pockets. She added a box of Skittles as an afterthought, then she looked at the fridges against the wall. 

She walked over and quietly opened the door, grabbing a water. She stuck it in her pocket and and continued walking casually to the bathrooms. She walked down the small hall, quickly finding the room with the woman’s sign on it. She opened the door, and she almost gagged on the smell immediately. The stench was abominable. And it was far too warm and… damp in the room for her liking. She sighed as she stepped into the bathroom. 

Meanwhile, Wayne walked to the the fridges, staring at the beer.

“You know where you are, honey?” The cashier asked in a thick Southern accent.

Wayne turned around and stared at her.

“Clearly not. You’re in Ankara Ditch.” She looked at his blank stare. “South Carolina. It’s near the border. What’re you two kids doin’ here at midnight?”

Wayne shrugged. “Road trip.”

She raised her eyebrows pointedly. “Mm hmm.”

“There a motel or somethin’ around here?” 

“Yeah. There’s a couple in a few minutes in the same direction you drivin’ here. Just keep goin’ on straight and you’ll land there. There’s some in the city.”

“Thanks,” He went back to staring at the fridges, hands in his pockets.

There was the sound of more pages flipping, and then Del walked out of the bathroom, her face curled in disgust.

“You good?” Wayne asked.

“That bathroom was a hazardous waste site. Let’s just get out of here,” She said, gritting her teeth as she walked to the door. 

“You kids ain’t gonna buy anythin’?”

“You ain’t hungry?” Wayne asked, following her.

“No,” Del said.

“I could eat.”

“Well, sucks for you,” Del said loudly, opening the door so loudly the bell rang loudly and almost fell off its hook. 

Wayne followed her outside. “You steal somethin’?”

“Yeah.”

“What’d you get?”

“Barbeque chips. And trail mix. And Skittles,” She added as they approached the bike again.

“I call dibs on the Skittles,” He said as he grabbed his helmet.

“In your dreams. They’re my favorite,” She said.

Wayne smiled as he looked out into the dark highway. “That lady in there told me we’re in Ankara Ditch, South Carolina, wherever that is.”

“So we’re stoppin’ for the night, right?” Del asked, quickly opening the bag of Skittles.

“Yeah. She also said there’s a few motels we can stay at just a few minutes from here.”

“Finally! I need a hot shower and ten hours of sleep, pronto” Del said, promptly pouring some of the bag into her mouth. “Shit, those are good. And no, you’re no getting any,” She said to him.

“Wasn’t gonna ask again. Let’s go.”

“This one’d better be better than the last nasty ass motel we stayed at. I still got fleas,” Del commented as she climbed on the back of the back again, Wayne sliding in front of her.

“I ain’t promisin’ nothin’,” Wayne said as he started the motorcycle and they sped out of the lot.

In the next few minutes, they passed by a few more decrepit, dark buildings, and finally reached a stretch of road which had a few lit buildings. Del saw a Motel 8 next to a dark liquor store and an abandoned building. 

Wayne pulled in and stopped in the large parking lot. Del hopped off and stretched, muscles aching. She took a Skittle out of her pocket and popped it in her mouth, watching Wayne as he made sure the bike was secure. 

“Can I have one now?” He asked.

“In your dreams, asshole,” She said, throwing another one in her mouth.

Wayne looked up at her as he tied his helmet to the handlebar. “Alright,” He stepped back. “That’s probably good. We can head in now.”

“Finally. I’m freezin' my tits off,” Del wrapped her jacket tighter around her arms as she followed Wayne to the entrance.

As they walked up, they both noticed a group of three guys standing in front of the entrance, talking and laughing loudly.

Del sighed inwardly. She didn’t want to deal with any bullshit right now. She just wanted a hot shower and a clean bed.  
One of them, an abnormally tall, heavy-set man wearing an expensive looking suit and loafers turned around and looked up Del and Wayne slowly. He bit down on his cigarette and called out, “What’ve we got here?”

One of the other guys turned around and looked at them. “Coupla kids? What’re you two doin’ here?”

‘‘We’re just here for a room,” Del replied. “We don’t want any bullshit.”

“Just here for a room?” The man smoking chuckled. “You sure about that?”

One of the men stepped forward, and Wayne moved slightly so he was standing in front of Del. 

“Awww, we got a little soldier here. Gonna protect ya girl?” 

Wayne watched him, clenching his jaw.

The man looked young. He probably couldn’t have been over eight years older than Wayne. His nails were painted, and he was wearing a leather jumpsuit and a lacy shawl that looked much too cold for the freezing weather. He had to be a hooker. Why else would he be wearing something so cold in single digit weather?

“He’s pretty,” The man said, stepping closer to Wayne. 

“Yeah, and he’s also a kid,” One of the men said. 

“I don’t get many young customers. Change is good,” the man said, baring his teeth and revealing blackened gums. His face was less than a foot away from Wayne’s. 

“Ew. Get the fuck away from him,” Del said, putting a hand on Wayne’s back. 

The man didn’t look at her. “I’ll go when I want to.”

“Wayne, let’s go,” Del said, tugging on his jacket. Wayne didn’t budge. “Wayne.” What the hell was wrong with him? 

“You’d better listen to your girlfriend, kid,” The other of the men said, a short man wearing an expensive looking jacket and boots. 

“Wayne, huh?” The man said. He put a hand on Wayne’s chin. 

“Goddammit, Wayne, what the hell are you doin’?” Del hissed. She yanked back on his arm, and he stumbled back out of the man’s grasp. 

“Come on!” Del said, trying to drag him back. He straightened up and stared at the man again. Del looked at his face, furious. He was standing stock-still, his expression unmoving. She hated it when he got like this. He wasn’t going to be moving unless he wanted to. 

The man stepped forward again and put a hand on his chest and one on his cheek. “Wayne, huh?” He leaned in even closer. You want it, kid?”

Wayne still wasn’t moving. “Get ya hands off of him, ya creep!” Del said angrily, standing close behind Wayne. 

“Shut your mouth, you bitch,” The man snarled at her. 

Del gritted her teeth. “You heard me! Get ya nasty hands off of him, you fuckin’ pedophile!” 

The man’s face got ugly. He kicked her in the chest, hard, and she fell straight onto her ass on the asphalt. 

Del glanced up just in time to see Wayne slug the man right in the face. The momentum made him fly backwards into the ground with a grunt of pain. 

“What the fuck, kid…” He muttered from the ground. 

Del was getting ready to slug Wayne in the face herself. How the fuck did he always manage to get himself in these situations? They should’ve just walked up, seen the clearly dangerous guys, and driven somewhere else. But no…

Fuckin’ Wayne. 

“You gonna hit my boy?” The tall man standing next to the door growled. 

Shit. He was a pimp. Of course he was. And that was his hooker. Wayne was such a fucking idiot. What the hell was she supposed to do now? She wasn’t wasn’t staying to get the shit beaten out of her with him. She didn’t have Wayne’s indestructible constitution. 

The shorter of the men stepped forward, rolling his neck back and forth.

Fucking hell. This was a real fight now. 

Idiot. 

Del slowly backed up, unsure what to do.

Wayne walked forward and kicked the shorter guy directly straight in the stomach. He was bigger than the other hooker, so he didn’t even stumble back. 

“You’re dead, you whore,” The hooker spat as he got to his feet, watching Wayne venomously. 

Del backed up more, watching as Wayne threw another punch, and the man managed to dodge it. He threw himself to the side, and was about to kick the man in the stomach, but the hooker suddenly grabbed his arms and tried to pin them behind his back, but Wayne headbutted him straight in the jaw, and the man shouted in pain.

The motorcycle! That was the only way out.

Del spun around and sprinted back to the parking lot as quickly as she could, cringing as she heard Wayne grunt in pain behind her.

She got to the motorcycle quickly, and it wasn’t until she was in front of it that she remembered that she had no fucking clue how to drive a motorcycle. 

“Fuckin’ shit...” She muttered under her breath. She flung herself over the seat, trying to remember how Wayne had started his motorcycle. She squinted her eyes closed, trying to think over the pounding of her heart. 

The headlights. She remembered that. She had to be able to see what she was doing. 

She flipped the switch on the right handlebar, and as she looked down, she saw the kickstand.

The kickstand.

Del kicked the it back, and she almost collapsed sideways when the bike leaned over on her. The thing was fucking heavy. 

The gear. What gear was it in? Wasn’t that the same as cars?

Del looked down, remembering Wayne switching the pedal to neutral before driving off before. She fiddled with the pedal until she was pretty sure it was in neutral.

She looked at the handlebars, squeezing the clutch on the left one, then revving the bike. That had to be right. She remembered him doing this before.

Del almost jumped out of the seat when the motorcycle shot forward a few feet. 

There was suddenly a loud cry of pain. Definitely Wayne’s. Her heart raced even harder as the situation began to feel even more urgent. 

“Okay, okay, okay, you can steer, you got this…you know how to drive... ” Del muttered under her breath, trying to convince herself. She revved it again and wildly pointed the handlebars around, trying to make it to the entrance to the motel.

She came excruciatingly close to tipping over, but she managed to curve around to face the highway. 

Wayne was by the entrance to the motel, to the right. Del pointed the bike to the entrance, and it shot towards it. 

As she approached Wayne, she could hardly see what was going on in the dim light, but it wasn’t good. She caught a glimpse of the tall man who was still standing back, watching the fight. Wayne was flat on his back, one of the guys holding his arms and the other beating his face to a pulp.

“Wayne! Get out of the way!” Del screamed. She didn’t know how to stop the bike, and it was coming straight for Wayne.

He didn’t move, but the two guys on either side of him looked up. Their eyes widened as they saw Del barreling towards them at top speed. They both flung themselves out of the way.

Del panicked. She couldn’t run over Wayne, and he wasn’t moving. Was he unconscious? Del shrieked as she swerved to the left and barreled straight into the man on the left, the hooker. He grunted as he fell backwards, his head cracking on the ground.

Del didn’t have time to slow down in the least. She looked down at Wayne, whose eyes were fluttering open. There was blood running down the side of his face and in his hair. She cursed under her breath as she grabbed one of his arms and hefted him onto his feet. He was practically limp, and she grit her teeth under his weight. 

Miraculously, neither of the men had attacked her yet. The pimp went straight to the guy she had run over, calling his name in a panicked voice.

In a sheer panic, Del managed to get Wayne’s ass onto the motorcycle. He was gaining consciousness again, and he started to sit up and try to drive.

“Stay there!” Del yelled at him. She threw herself in front of him, revved the engine again, and tore out of the driveway.

“No! Get back here, you bitch!” Del heard the pimp yell. “You fucking cunt! You will pay for this! Both of you bitches!” He screamed as they swerved into the street. Del felt Wayne’s head lean into her shoulder, and she turned back a little. As they passed a street  
light, she could see his eyes still flickering closed. 

“I’m gonna stop soon, okay?” Del yelled.

Wayne didn’t respond.

Del drove for another agonizing few minutes. Wayne eventually took his head off her shoulder, and when Del almost drove them straight into a sign, she pulled over.

With shaking hands, she collapsed off of the bike. Wayne held it in place, looking at her.

In the light of the motorcycle headlights, Del could see see blood trails running out of his nose. 

“You look like shit,” She said, relieved it was finally over.

“I didn’t know you could drive a motorcycle,” Wayne whispered hoarsely. 

“Fuckin’ idiot. We ever gonna be able to drive somewhere without you beatin’ the shit out of someone or gettin’ the shit beat out of you?”

Wayne ran his nose over the sleeve of his jacket. He walked back to the bike and climbed on.

“Where’re we goin’?” He said, Del trying not to wince as he put his legs on either side of the motorcycle.“We don’t have time. They could be comin’ right now.”

“Next motel we see,” Del replied.

Wayne took a moment to respond. “Ain’t that a bad idea? What if those guys find us again?”

“We ain’t stayin’ in this dumbass town long. It doesn’t matter,” Del said as she slid behind him. “And you’re bleedin’ out. We don’t have the luxury of drivin’ around another half hour.”

Wayne didn’t respond as he revved the engine again, and Del took this as a sign of assent. They quickly sped out of the sad downtown area of Ankara Ditch. Within the next few minutes, they spotted another hotel. As they pulled in the parking lot, Del noticed with relief that it wasn’t as decrepit-looking as the last one, but the doors to the rooms were actually inside the building. Del couldn’t remember ever staying in a place like that. It certainly wasn’t a five-star hotel, but compared the last motel they had stayed at, they may as well have been in a fuckin’ Ritz-Carlton.

Wayne parked the bike in the parking lot, and Del hopped off quickly, straightening her backpack on her shoulders. Wayne took a few seconds to climb off, grimacing. 

Del crossed her arms and looked at him. “Sorry I left ya helmet and goggles or whatever at that place.”

“‘S okay,” He said.

“Lemme look,” Del said. She put a hand close to the side of his face and leaned in. In the dim lighting of the parking lot, she could see bruises and cuts forming on the right side of his face. There was no doubt an ass load of bruising under his hair and shirts, too. 

“Those guys were a buncha creeps. Think I kinda understand why you tried to beat the shit out of ‘em.” She paused. “Kinda. We’ll talk about it later.”

She paused, narrowing her eyes at the bruises. “It hurt?” She asked in an uncharacteristically gentle voice.

“Nah,” Wayne looked at her. “I’ve had worse.”

Del snorted. “I coulda guessed,” She stepped back. “Doesn’t mean you’re gettin’ any of my Skittles, though.”

Wayne gave her a small smile, and then he broke down into a fit of coughing.

“God, you’re dyin’. Let’s get you inside,” Del patted his back as she pushed him towards the entrance of the hotel. “If this place has a buncha creepy old guys campin’ out in front, I’m burnin’ it down.”

“Fair enough,” Wayne said in a scratchy voice.

“You honestly sound like you’re about to kick the bucket. Jesus,” Del said as they walked up on the brick-paved entrance. 

The doors automatically slid open as they walked in, and soft piano greeted them as they entered the lobby. 

“It smells like cigarettes and ass in here,” Del whispered, her nose wrinkled. Wayne nodded, looking around. The room was small but well-kept, with a small area for continental breakfast, and a lounge area with a TV blaring the news. The color of the walls was an odd shade of brown that reminded of Del of the time her brothers had tried to keep a pet squirrel in the house, and it would take a shit in her bed every day.

Not a pleasant memory.

“Hello! My name is Lisa. Welcome to the Magnuson Inn. How can I help you two?”

They turned around to see a woman standing behind a counter against the wall a few feet away, and Del could see the visible surprise in her face when she saw Wayne’s battered face. 

“Hey, Lisa,” Del said. She walked over the desk and leaned up against it. “My name’s…uh, Katie. And this is… James. You still takin’ reservations?”

Her eyes were fixed on Wayne. “Uh...yes. You’re just in time. I was just about to close the desk. We don’t have many bookings right now, so I can set you two up.” Lisa continued staring at Wayne, who looked back at her uncomfortably.

“Are...are you okay? What happened to your face? And what are you two kids doing out here so late?” She finally asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence. 

“Hey, extra thirty bucks and no questions asked,” Del offered, trying to sound casual. She reached around into the backpack and hastily unzipped the bag, pulling out a wad of cash and slamming it on the table.

Lisa narrowed her eyes at the crumpled ball, then at Wayne. Del was sure she wasn’t going to take it, but she snatched it after considering for a few moments and put it under the counter. “How long’re you two planning to stay?”

“Just a night,” Del said, trying not to show how relieved she was that the woman hadn’t tried to ask any more questions.

“Alright. That’s $54 for each of you for one night,” She said.

Del side-eyed Wayne. Did they have that much? How much had they spent already?

“Uh, hang on a sec,” Del took the backpack off of her shoulders and rifled through it, collecting all of the dollar bills that had been scattered around the bag. She tried to smoothen out the bills in her hand, counting them. She was relieved when she got to $110, with a few twenties to spare for the trip ahead. 

“Here ya go. That should be enough.” 

“Alright,” the woman grabbed the crumpled bills from Del’s outstretched hands, a faint look of disgust on her face. She smoothed them out herself, counting them as she put them in the register. 

When she was satisfied, she asked them, “Would you like to sign up with our rewards plan? I’ll need a phone number,” She said as she started typing into the register. 

“No, thanks.” Del said, almost not believing the woman was actually taking them with now more questions asked. “Just the rooms, please. We’ll probably be leavin’ pretty fast.”

“Alright…” She continued typing on the register. “Would you two like one queen or two twins?”

“Two twins, please” Del said at the same time as Wayne said, “Twins.”

She gave them a look as she said looked at the screen again. “Alright… there’s a room on the second floor that will be perfect. Room 98. Here’s the key,” She said as she reached below the desk and handed them a small envelope. 

“Thanks. ‘Precciate it,” Del said, flashing her a smile as she put it in her back pocket. 

“Likewise. You two have a good night, now,” She said, still watching them suspiciously. 

“You too!” Del walked away, Wayne following her. She followed the sign to the elevator, and the moment they were in the hallway, she breathed a sigh of relief. 

“God, I thought we were dead for sure that time. Bein’ in the news has made me all paranoid. It’s annoying. I miss not having to think up a name every time we meet someone.”

“You did well. She bought it,” Wayne said as they reached the elevator. 

“Yeah, no thanks to you,” Del said as she slammed the side of her fist on the button. 

“You don’t want me talkin’,” Wayne said. 

Del snorted. “Right. Fuckin’ beacon of truth.”

There was a ding, and the doors slid open. As the walked in, Wayne held back a grimace. 

“Hey,” Del said as she leaned against the wall. “I saw that. It’s hurtin’ more than you’re lettin’ on.”

He stared at the walls.

“Yeah, and don’t think you’re getting out of an examination when we get in the room. I didn’t buy Bands-Aids at that Wal-Mart for no fuckin’ reason. You ain’t gonna be bleedin’ out onto that bed tonight. I’m all prepared for your bullshit now.”

Wayne looked at her. 

“Hey, don’t give me that look, now. I don’t want you gettin’ an infection or nothin’. We can’t deal with hospitals right now.”

There was another pleasant ding and the doors opened slowly. 

Del stepped out and muttered, “Okay... ” She grabbed the envelope out of her pocket and glanced at the number. “We’re room 98.”

“This way,” Wayne said, gesturing to the right. 

They both headed down the hallway in silence, and when they reached the hallway, Del slipped the key card out of the envelope and slid it into the slot. 

Nothing happened.

“Ahh, shit, I hate these things…” Del muttered her breath. She shoved the card in it, and nothing happened.

“Come on! This is rigged or somethin’, I swear,” She jammed it in a few more times, growing more and more frustrated.

Wayne gently took the card from her hand and slowly slid it through the slot. There was a beep and a click.

“Alright, fuck you,” Del gave him a look as she opened the door. 

Wayne walked in and she followed him in the room. She flipped on the lamp in between the beds and gave the room a once-over.

It smelled musty, it was cramped, and there was a weird maroon stain in front of the door on the carpet, but Del didn’t give a shit anymore. All she wanted was a full night’s sleep and a boiling hot shower.

She walked to the door and locked it while Wayne collapsed on one of the crisply made beds. 

Del looked at him, then walked into the small bathroom and grabbed a roll of paper towels sitting on the counter. 

“Alright, come on,” Del said as left the bathroom and walked over to Wayne’s bed. “I gotta see what’s hurt.”

“Can I just sleep?” He mumbled. He looked utterly exhausted. 

“Nah. I don’t want you sleepin’ like that. C’mere,” Del sat on the edge of the bed and patted the space in front of her in invitation before she took off her backpack and unzipped it. 

Wayne sat up slowly and inched over to her. 

“It hurt a lot?”

“Yeah.”

Del rooted through her bag for a few seconds, then took out a bottle of pills and set it in front of him. “It’s ibuprofen.”

“Cool.”

Del rolled her eyes as she took a water bottle out of the bag. “I told you I was prepared and all that. Now,” She unscrewed the top of the bottle. “Take the goddamn pills.”

Wayne looked at her, then grabbed the bottle. He poured out about four in his hand, threw them in his mouth, and gulped down some of the water. 

“Alright, now I gotta clean the wounds,” Del said, taking out a bottle of rubbing alcohol from the backpack. She poured some of it into a wad of the paper towels. 

“You know what you’re doin’?” Wayne said doubtfully. 

“Yeah, ‘course I do. The amount of times I’ve had to clean up my asshole brothers after they get into a fight is nauseating. My mom taught me how to do this. Here,” She scooted closer. 

“Alright, I just gotta dab these with the paper towels and we should be okay. Your face where all the cuts are?”

Wayne nodded. 

“You tellin’ the truth?”

Wayne nodded again. “They bruised up my stomach, but not cuts.”

“Okay, then,” She leaned forward and pressed the paper towel to Wayne’s face. He closed his eyes. 

“That hurt?”

“A little,” He grunted. 

“It won’t take that long.” 

Silence. 

“Hey, Wayne?”

“What?”

“What the hell were you doin’ back there? What were you thinkin’? We coulda just avoided the whole thing if you’d just have walked away when we saw that situation was fuckin’ dangerous.” 

Wayne was looking down. “I don’t know. Sometimes I just...let stuff happen.”

“You just ‘let stuff happen.’” Del looked at him. “You’re so fuckin’ weird, ya know that?”  
“Yeah, I know,” He said. 

Del finished swabbing his face and moved onto the gash on his scalp. 

“I know you ain’t gonna listen to me, but doin’ that kind of shit is dangerous. You get yourself into a lot of trouble, and just lettin’ shit happen to you in those kinds ‘a situations is gonna get you killed one day, or somethin’ worse.”

Wayne stayed silent as she finished cleaning up the wound. 

“Okay, that’s probably good. I’m just gonna wipe off all that blood off now. And nothin’ else. I ain’t a real doctor.” Del pushed herself off the bed and walked back to the bathroom. She grabbed a hand towel off the rack and wet it quickly, then walked back to the bed. 

“Is this really necessary?” He asked as she crawled in front of him again.

“Yeah. It is,” She said firmly. “Okay, you’re on a desert island and you can only bring three things. What do you bring?” She put the towel on his nose and started gently wiping the now dried blood off.

Wayne gave her a look.

“What? I’m just tryin’ to make conversation.”

Wayne looked down at the bed as he thought. “Well, my hammer.”

Del snorted. “O’ course.”

“And… my candle. It’s this one my dad got me a while ago. I never burn it ‘cause I like how it smells and I don’t wanna use it all up. Smells kinda like lavender I think.”

“Lavender?”

“Yeah. Smells really good.”

“Lavender smells like shit,” Del wrinkled her nose as she moved to his scalp.

Wayne looked at her. “You don’t like lavender?”

Del shrugged. “Nah. What else?” She saw his expression and she snickered. “God, you look like I just took a dump in public.”

“How do you not like how lavender smells?”

“How have you not died from blood loss after gettin’ the shit beaten out of you every other day?” Del fired back.

Wayne shrugged unconcernedly. 

“Whateva’. What’s your third thing?”

He took a moment to think again. “There’s this...uh...necklace I have in my room. I haven’t looked at it in a while but...it was my mom’s, I think. She left it at our house. It has a flower on it. Like a...rose, I think.”

Del looked at him. “Your mom?” She couldn’t remember him ever talking about his mom before.

“Yeah. It would suck to just let somethin’ she owns burn in the fire,” He finished. 

“Yeah,” Del said. She sat back. “Okay. I got all the blood off. There really ain’t any blood under that shirt?” She asked. 

He nodded. 

“Okay. I’m done then. Told ya it wouldn’t take long,” She pushed all of the supplies into the backpack and slid off the bed. “I’m gonna get in the shower for a few days now.”

Wayne nodded as she walked to the bathroom. She heard him falling back into the bed again immediately.

The shower felt so fucking good. She hadn’t showered in a few days, and she hated feeling unclean. Del set the water so hot it felt like her skin was melting off of her body, but she stood in it for almost an hour and a half. 

She blinked when she wiped off the fog in the mirror and she was staring at herself. Did she really look that tired? She wiped her eyes as she realized how fuzzy her head was. Her eyes were hurting.

Apparently she was that tired. 

She ran a towel through her hair as quickly as she could as she opened the door to the bedroom. “Well, I think I just burned half of my—”

Wayne was asleep.

Well, of course he was. It was almost one in the morning.

He had fallen asleep on the covers without bothering to take off his jacket and shoes or pull the covers on.

Del watched him as she put her towel on the floor.

Would it be weird to take off his shoes? 

She considered. 

Okay, yeah, that would be weird. She wouldn’t exactly like it if Wayne took off her shoes while she was sleeping.

Del suddenly spotted a folded white blanket at the foot of her bed, and she quickly walked to it, unfolded it, and laid it on him. As she pulled it up to his shoulders, she noticed how relaxed his features were, and how peaceful he looked when he slept. 

Almost like he couldn’t possibly have bit her dad’s nose off and set fire to his house and his dad’s corpse only a few days ago.

Del sighed as she stepped back. She looked at him for a moment before turning off the lamp. When she collapsed into her bed and sank under the covers, her limbs practically screamed in relief. The faint buzzing in the back of her head got louder and she fell asleep in less than a minute.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: 

Del woke up because someone was trying to talk to her.

“Del,” They said.

“Jus’ five more minutes, dad,” She groaned, rolling away from the voice.

“Del, it’s me. Wayne,” The voice said. She felt a gentle hand on her arm.

Oh. Right. Wayne.

Del opened her eyes rolled back over. She squinted at him. “Good mornin’, idiot.” 

“Mornin’,” He said back. “Sorry I’m wakin’ you up so early, but the free breakfast is gonna end soon. Don’t want you missin’ the free waffles and shit.” He popped something in his mouth, and Del’s brow furrowed.

“Is that one of my Skittles?” She asked.

He grinned. “Yeah.”

She tossed one of her pillows at him, smiling. “Dummy. And yeah, I want free waffles.” Her stomach ached at the thought of breakfast. 

She yawned as she pushed the covers to the foot of the bed. “Let’s go.”

After she had slipped on her shoes and pulled on her sweatshirt, they took the elevator down to the dining room. 

Del could smell the food as soon as she stepped out of the elevator.

“Oh my god. That smells so good,” Del said as she walked to the dining area. There were a few people scattered at the tables, eating and drinking. She almost cried when she saw the lineup—waffles, bagels, eggs, orange juice, sausage, coffee, cereal, toast, yogurt, and fruit. 

Man, she was still so on her period. 

She sped walked to the food and grabbed a plate, Wayne following her.

“You’re really hungry, huh?” He said as he grabbed one. 

“I always eat like a wolf when I’m on my period,” Del said as she scooped a mound of eggs onto her plate.

Wayne didn’t say anything as he put a few sausages on his plate. 

After Del was satisfied with the mounds of food on both of her plates, she sat on a table near the sitting area with the couches. She felt a breeze on the back of her neck and she turned around to see that the windows were propped open.

“Ain’t that dangerous?” Del said to Lisa, who was standing behind the counter.

Lisa looked up at her, and Del could’ve sworn she saw her scowl under her breath. “Ain’t what dangerous?”

“You keepin’ the doors open,” Del said, taking a bite of her muffin.

“Nah. It’s hot as hell in here. And it brings customers in,” Lisa said.

Wayne walked over and took a seat next to Del.

She stared at his plate. “You only got sausage and cottage cheese?”

“Yeah. It’s good together,” He replied.

She wrinkled her nose. “That’s so fuckin’ weird.”

He shrugged. “I got you some coffee.” He set a paper cup next to Del.

She smiled at him. “Thanks,” She said as she grabbed the cup. She drank it and made a face as she swallowed it. “Ugh. That’s bad. But it’s still coffee. This’d better wake me up.”

They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the sounds of gentle chatter and the morning news on the TV filling the room until there was the sound of loud bells tolling outside the door.

Del looked up. “What’s that?” She asked.

“Oh, that’s the church across the street. Does that every week.”

Del blinked. “Is it Sunday?”

Lisa shrugged. “Yeah. I guess so.” 

Del turned around and looked out the door. Then she turned around and looked at Wayne, who was mid-bite. “You ever been to church before?” She asked.

He shrugged, chewing. Del bit her lip as she turned around to look at the door. 

“We’re goin’,” She said. She pushed the chair out and swept all of her food onto her plate, walking to a trash can.

Wayne watched her. “You suddenly a devoted Christian?”

“You’re comin’ too, come on,” Del said. 

“You really ain’t kiddin’?” He asked.

“No, I ain’t kiddin’,” Del replied, putting her hands on her waist.

Wayne shrugged. “Okay.” He took one last bite of his sausage as he stood up and also threw away his paper plate. 

“You’re comin’ back, right?” Lisa asked as they walked past her desk.

“Sure,” Del called back.

The sun was brutally bright on their faces as they left the hotel. Del squinted to look across the street. There were a few buildings, and she quickly identified a large white building with a steeple and a large, shaking bell. There were a few people walking towards it in suits and dresses with large matching hats. There was a lot of chatter and laughter among them.

“We don’t really look like we’re goin’ to church, huh?” Del said as she started towards the building, looking down at her rumpled jeans and sweatshirt.

Wayne didn’t comment as they joined the crowd walking to the open doors.

Del smiled as she made awkward eye contact with several people walking next to them.

They shouldered their way into a lobby area filled with couches and large windows. The room was packed with people. The roar among the people—laughter, chatter, was deafening.

“It smells like someone just set fire to an ass load of cinnamon in here,” Wayne said, his lip curled.

“Hey!” Del elbowed him as she whispered. “We’re in a church—you can’t curse!” She crossed her arms. “You really got a weird thing with smells. It doesn’t smell that bad in here. They probably just lit a candle or somethin.’”

“Hello!” 

Del tried not to jump as a nearby man’s voice suddenly interrupted their conversation.

“Uh...hi.” Del said.

The man was shorter than Wayne, with a kind, round, fatherly-looking face and wire-rimmed glasses. He was wearing a robe with a golden rope tied around the waist.

“Welcome to Saint Stephen’s! My name is Elder James, and I’m one of the leaders in worship here. Who are you two?” He held out his hand to shake their hands, and Del took it hesitantly.

“Um...my name’s…” Her mind was suddenly blank on any name she could give herself. She was in a church. What believable name could she give herself? “I’m Mary.” She said suddenly. She pointed to Wayne. “And that’s...Joseph.”

The man stared at her. “Ah.. alright. Is this your first time joining us?”

“Yeah. We’re just passin’ through, and since we can’t go to the church we normally go to, ya know, I thought why not try goin’ here? Place is really pretty.”

“That’s wonderful! It’s so lovely seeing young people like yourselves so devoted to the Lord,” The man said, beaming.

“Yeah we’re real devoted to the Lord. Go to church every Sunday. Make a… make a point out of it.”

“Well, make yourselves at home! Anyone is welcome here. The service is beginning in only a few minutes, so you can go ahead and take a pew! The orders of worship are being passed out on the way in, so make sure to grab one so you can follow along!”

“Ah.. alright. Come on, Joseph. Time to sit.” Del turned around to look at Wayne, who gave her a look.

“Come on, Joseph,” Del grabbed his arm as she walked away. “Thanks, Mister James. See ya around.”

Del let go of his arm as they approached the entry room to the sanctuary.

“Del, why are we here? Thought you were jokin’.” Wayne said. “This is too much of risk. Someone’s gonna recognize us. It’s dangerous bein’ out like this. We got the police out looking for us, and probably those guys from last night.”

“Not if keep our heads down. We’ll sit in the back or somethin.’”

“Why you wanna go to a church anyway? I know you ain’t religious or nothin.’”

Del shrugged defensively “I’m just curious. I’ve never been to a service. Know you ain’t either. I was just thinkin,’ new experiences are good for ya, ya know? That kinda shit.” She paused and groaned. “No cussin’!” She muttered under her breath.

Wayne sighed as they joined a line filing into the sanctuary. The smell was getting more intense as they got closer. He looked up and saw that there several burning red candles attached to the wall. Damn, they stank. Too much cinnamon and apples. 

After they were in line for a few minutes, they finally moved forward into the sanctuary and seated towards the back of the congregation in one of the back pews. 

The room was impressively tall, with huge, colorful stained glass windows depicting Bible scenes. Del couldn’t tell what was happening in any of them. The front of the room was huge. There were several men in white robes and a choir behind them. There were huge bouquets of flowers on the elevated area, ones Del thought were pretty. There was also an organ playing at the front. 

“I ain’t ever been to a church service before,” Del said in a quiet voice. “Always wondered what it was like. I heard it gives you inner peace or somethin’. Sounds nice.”

Wayne looked at her, but didn’t say anything.

“That organ sounds pretty awful,” Del commented.

“Yeah, it really does.”

“I’m not feelin’ any inner peace ‘cause of that thing.”

“Me neither.”

They didn’t speak until the service began. They followed the liturgy in a book in the order of worship they were given earlier. Del found the whole process confusing. Why was the guy up front wearing the dress saying random shit, and then the people responded with random shit? It felt weird to chant with a crowd.

They sang several hymns, and Del was surprised to hear that Wayne had a really good voice. In the first hymn they sang, something about Jesus’ love, she turned to look at him with shock.

He looked confused. “What?”

“You sound so good!” She said, trying not to sound too shocked.

“You think so?”

“Uh, yeah. You sound like you’ve been practicin’ for weeks or somethin’! Why didn’t you ever tell me you can sing like that?”

He shrugged and looked… bashful? Del couldn’t recall a time he had ever looked bashful. Damn.

“You never asked,” He said, and he went back to singing. 

Del herself sounded like a dying seagull when she tried to sing, so she just listened to Wayne instead when they sang.

Eventually, after a horrendously long Bible reading, they were told to take their seats. Del did so gratefully. “How do people do this every Sunday? It hurts to stand this long in one place,” She whispered to Wayne.

A woman sitting in front of them turned around to look disapprovingly at them, and Del resisted the urge to stick out her tongue.

They watched as a large, elderly man with a huge, gray beard and a totally bald head took the pulpit. 

“Time for the sermon, I guess,” Del whispered. “I hope it ain’t too long.”

She zoned out for the better part of it. The preacher was talking about the world and sin or something. When he started talking about sacraments, Del had to keep herself from nodding off. It was hard to stay awake when she didn’t understand what he was talking about. 

“When I was a kid, I think my mom took me to one of these places,” Wayne suddenly said in a soft voice.

“You guys went to church?” She asked quietly.

“Yeah. I think it was Easter.” He was staring straight ahead at the pulpit. “My dad was there, I think. And my brother. I sat in my mom’s lap. She smelled really good, kinda like lavender or somethin’ like that.”

“You remember how she smelled?”

“Yeah. Not much else.”

Del didn’t say anything else, just stared at the pulpit with him, half-listening to the pastor.   
After a moment or two, she slipped her hand into his, resting on the cushioned pew. It was warm and covered in calluses, but in a good way. It also wasn’t sweaty, which was nice.

Wayne adjusted his hand a little and pressed his fingers tighter against hers.

Del tried not to smile. 

They sat that way for the rest of the sermon, and when the pastor said they were going to pray together, Del inched closer to Wayne and rested her head on his shoulder. He squeezed her hand and leaned his head back onto hers. Del felt her heart flutter. This felt so...right. She felt so safe and at home with the warmth of his body against hers.

When the prayer ended, Del reluctantly took her head off his shoulder, and they stood up. Their hands stayed intertwined together.

They sang a few more hymns and read more of the liturgy together, but Del felt so happy she couldn’t really pay any attention anymore. 

The service was over much too soon. When the preacher said the final benediction, the silence of the congregation quickly became chaos again. 

Del turned to look at Wayne. “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” He admitted to her. “I liked the singin’.”

Del smiled at him. She stood on her toes to give him a quick peck on the cheek. When she looked at him, he was giving her a small smile, too. 

“Thanks,” She said softly.

“For what?” He asked, confused.

She shrugged. “Everything.” She grabbed his hand again as she led him to the exit of the congregation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay, I know that ending was pretty cheesy. I get all the uwus whenever I write about them. I find it extremely hard not to make their romantic scenes overly cheesy. Their relationship is honestly my favorite.   
> I’m already staring a second Wayne story right now, and I’m pretty excited to start that one. It’s a lot more angsty and dangerous than this one. Those are my favorite to write, I’m not going to lie.  
> Thanks for reading! If you have anything to say—suggestions, comments, corrections, ideas for a new Wayne story, make sure to drop a review—I need them. They encourage me to keep going :)
> 
> x  
> syd


End file.
